Colorado Front Range Museums
Into the Past: Colorado museums showcase everything from Native American cultures to rodeo cowboys and Olympic skiers.
Rocky Mountain National Park Area
Moraine Park Museum
Check out natural history exhibits without leaving the park at this free museum on Bear Lake Road.
Stanley Hotel
It’s not exactly a museum, but this 1909 hotel packs plenty of history. On the 90-minute Stanley Tour, you’ll see original Stanley Steamer cars, tour the grounds, and, yes, get the scoop on the supposedly haunted hotel’s resident spirits. stanleyhotel.com
Kauffman House Museum
This tiny, charming museum in the quiet downtown of Grand Lake preserves a log hotel in operation from 1892 to 1946. grandlakehistory.org
Colorado Front Range
Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
The new (reopened in November 2012) Museum of Discovery features a little bit of everything, from a Sound & Music Lab to Native American exhibits and a hands-on family exploration center. Admission is $9.50 for adults, $7 students and seniors. fcmod.org
Molly Brown House and Museum
Denver is packed with world-class museums, but this little gem celebrating the unsinkable Titanic survivor (it’s in her 1889 home) is especially fun. $8 adults; mollybrown.org
University of Colorado Museum of Natural History
This Boulder museum covers fossils, botany, bugs, and much more, plus a Discovery Corner for kids. Admission is free (with a suggested $3 donation). cumuseum.colorado.edu
ProRodeo Hall of Fame & The Museum of the American Cowboy
If you know the difference between a hazer and a rank—or want to find out—this Colorado Springs museum is a must-visit. prorodeohalloffame.com
Ski & Snowboard Museum
This free Vail destination commemorates Olympic ski champions, the history of skiing in the Vail Valley and elsewhere, the 10th Mountain Division ski troopers, and much more. skimuseum.net